Sakic's magic act saves Avs

Captain's late goal sets up shootout win against Oilers

By Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Originally published 08:54 p.m., March 28, 2008
Updated 11:33 p.m., March 28, 2008

David Zalubowski / Associated Press

Avalanche right wing Ian Laperriere celebrates with Milan Hejduk after Hejduk scored the team's third goal in a shootout with the Oilers on Friday night at the Pepsi Center.

David Zalubowski / Associated Press

Avalanche defenseman Scott Hannan chases after the puck against Oilers right wing Fernando Pisani as Avalanche goaltender Jose Theodore looks on during the second period Friday night at the Pepsi Center.

When it comes to late-game heroics, Joe Sakic has the magic touch.

The 38-year-old center's knack for coming through in the clutch enabled the Avalanche to pull out a dramatic 5-4 shootout win against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night at the Pepsi Center and move one step closer to securing a berth in the playoffs.

Goalie Jose Theodore was on the bench for an extra skater as the Avalanche buzzed around Dwayne Roloson's net when Sakic got his stick on a loose puck and chipped it in off the Edmonton goalie's glove to tie the game with 5.9 seconds to play in regulation.

After a scoreless five- minute overtime in which the Avalanche outshot the Oilers 6-1, Wojtek Wolski, Sakic and Milan Hejduk all scored in the shootout, while Theodore was stopping one of two Edmonton shooters to clinch the win.

"We just kept working," said Sakic, who came close to scoring with about five minutes left in the third period, only to see Roloson deflect his shot from the slot off the crossbar. "At the end, when you're down a goal, you're trying to get at least a point. Fortunately for us, we got two points out of this.

"It was a tough hockey game, an exciting hockey game. I thought both teams played real well."

Sakic, who had gone four games without a goal and had two in the previous 12 games, tied the score during a scramble in front, with Andrew Brunette (two goals, one assist) and Peter Forsberg (three assists) doing some tough work in front to keep the puck alive.

"Finally, I think (the puck) went off someone's pants and it was just laying in-between someone's legs and I was just trying to get a lot of wood on it," Sakic said. "I think it deflected off someone and went in. It was a fortunate goal."

The goal was similar to the one Sakic scored Feb. 27 in Vancouver, when he whacked a puck past Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo with 14.7 seconds remaining to tie the game. Sakic went on to score the decisive goal in a 3-2 shootout victory.

"You have battles in front of the net and the puck pops free and you're fortunate to get your stick on it," Sakic said.

The two late tying goals and eventual wins have turned into four extremely valuable points in the standings.

"We can use any word to describe the excitement, the amazing goal, the timely goal, the huge goal," Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville said. "Joe had a great third period and he finished it off. The (overtime) point was like a win and then capping it off with the extra point was gigantic.

"It was a great hockey game. They played great and we got a break at the right time. The game in Vancouver and this one . . . we haven't been very successful with the goalie out, but these are two instances down the stretch - four points - you can look back and say they are very significant, very meaningful."

The Oilers took a 4-3 lead into the third period, thanks to a goal by Sam Gagner at 17:03 of the second period. Gagner took a pass from fellow rookie Andrew Cogliano and put a shot between Theodore's pads.

Brunette's second goal of the game tied the game at 3-3 at 11:41. Forsberg fed Brunette at the edge of the crease for a chip shot behind Roloson.

A goal by Curtis Glencross at 7:54 completed the Oilers' comeback from a 2-0 deficit and gave them a 3-2 lead.

The Avalanche took an early 2-0 lead when Brunette and Hejduk scored 40 seconds apart, but the Oilers answered with two quick goals to tie the game.

Eight seconds into a power play with Adam Foote in the penalty box for hooking, Oilers defenseman Tom Gilbert converted Robert Nilsson's cross-ice pass at 12:13.

The Oilers tied the game at 13:56 when Jarret Stoll beat Theodore with a shot from the right point after a pass from Gilbert. Theodore was screened by Dustin Penner on the play and never saw the puck.

Brunette scored one second after the second power play expired. Jeff Finger's shot hit Roloson, glanced off the right post and dropped into the crease. Brunette tapped it into the net at 7:22.

Hejduk made it 2-0 at 8:02 with his team-leading 26th goal and fifth in a four-game goal-scoring streak. He scored from the base of the right circle off a setup from Forsberg.

Avalanche 5, Oilers 4, SO

Edmonton 2 2 0 0 - 4

Colorado 2 1 1 0 - 5

Colorado wins shootout 3-1

First period - 1, Col, Brunette 18 (Smyth, Finger), 7:22. 2, Col, Hejduk 27 (Forsberg, Stastny), 8:02. 3, Edm, Gilbert 13 (Nilsson, Cogliano), 12:13 (pp). 4, Edm, Stoll 13 (Gilbert, Hemsky), 13:56. Penalties - Reasoner, Edm (holding stick), 4:40; Pisani, Edm (hooking), 5:21; Foote, Col, (hooking), 12:05; Staios, Edm, major (fighting), 16:07; Laperriere, Col, major (fighting), 16:07.

Second period - 5, Edm, Glencross 13 (Brodziak, Grebeshkov), 7:54. 6, Col, Brunette 19 (Forsberg, Sakic), 11:41. 7, Edm, Gagner 13 (Nilsson, Cogliano), 17:03. Penalty - Foote, Col, (tripping), 9:13.

Third period - 8, Col, Sakic 12 (Brunette, Forsberg), 19:54. Penalties - Staios, Edm (diving), 7:08; Forsberg, Col, (spearing), 7:08; Nilsson, Edm (hooking), 11:26.

Overtime - None. Penalties - None.

Shootout - Edm 1 (Nilsson G, Gagner NG); Col 3 (Wolski G, Sakic G, Hejduk G).

Shots - Edm 12-11-7-1 - 31. Col 12-7-12-5 - 36. Power plays - Edm 1 of 2; Col 0 of 3. Goalies - Edm, Roloson 13-16-5 (36 shots-32 saves). Col, Theodore 26-21-2 (31-27). A - 17,846 (18,007). T - 2:48. Referees - Greg Kimmerly, Bill McCreary. Linesmen - Mike Cvik, Jonny Murray.

NUMBERS GAME

19 fighting majors for Avalanche forward Ian Laperriere, the sixth most in the NHL.

FOOTE BACK ON ICE

Defenseman Adam Foote returned to the Avalanche lineup after missing three games in a row and seven of the previous 10 because of a hip injury suffered in a March 6 game against Anaheim.

"I felt a little sluggish in the first period," Foote said. "But I got through the game without feeling the injury. I wish I felt sharper, but we got the win. I'm so happy that the leg held up. I didn't feel it at all. I just have to get my legs under me now."

Foote logged 20:01 in ice time and had two shots on goal and one hit.

BREATHING ROOM

Thanks to the shootout win against the Oilers, the Avalanche has a bit of a cushion in terms of the Western Conference playoff race.

The Avalanche is seventh, with 90 points, two more than Nashville and Vancouver, and six more than Edmonton with three games remaining in the regular season.

"If we would have lost, Edmonton would have won and Nashville already won, so that would make it a real tight race just to get into the playoffs," Avalanche forward Peter Forsberg said. "Now we're a couple of points ahead. We're still battling, but we had a great homestand here. We got three wins out of a possible three, so we're very happy."

Rick Sadowski